The Holiday Season Can Be a Nightmare for Misophonia Sufferers.
One young woman hopes for seeing her loved ones over the holidays, but says a key strategy she'll cope is by relying on her hearing protection - particularly at the holiday meal.
In her case, this time of year is a notably tough season as the auditory triggers of people eating, drinking noisily and breathing heavily cause her extremely uncomfortable.
"I experience this sensation of sudden panic, my entire being will just tense up and it feels like I'm in peril, and I need to manage these noises."
The individual has lived with misophonia since she was 16 and for her that makes the festive season "incredibly overwhelming".
Misophonia is an intense sensitivity to specific noises, particularly those coming from other people.
It is prevalent amongst adults. Researchers found a significant portion of people are affected by it.
Frequently it's noises connected to mouth, throat or facial movements that trigger a reaction, along with examples such as chewing, heavy breathing, and foot tapping.
A Source of Dread
She explains: "I face so many assorted problematic noises at Christmas and that can be daunting and make you want to avoid it.
"My relatives are aware, but I'm very aware that I don't want to make other people feel uncomfortable. It's like a internal conflict of enduring my distress to guarantee everyone else is happy."
So it's easy to understand why the traditionally happy period can quickly turn into a living nightmare for those with the condition.
Sounds that may seem harmless, like someone slurping a Buck's fizz, rustling a roll of wrapping paper, or tucking into a Christmas dinner can trigger a strong emotional response that can even result in them avoiding social settings altogether.
Jenna, a university student, who has dealt with misophonia since aged 10, states the approach she intends to use is to put her earphones in to manage the meal. Typically, she would often retreat in a quiet area to avoid distressing triggers.
She says her sensitivity is more intense around people she's closest to, so the holidays is always "difficult".
"There is pressure to spend time with family, and I want to, but it's exhausting on all levels.
"It's like this uncontrollable anger washes over me, which can feel shameful, or I'll feel anxious and burst into tears and then the stress response will kick in.
"It may seem as if I'm being difficult and dramatic, but it's tough to describe if you haven't felt it."
Several Strategies to Handle It
If it's an issue then there are some different techniques you can attempt to manage the situation, based on advice from clinical psychologists.
- Visualise an Alternative: Mental imagery is essential. Attempt to link the triggering sound bothering you with something completely different. For instance, try to picture someone's noisy drinking is just a waterfall. The goal is to help your brain learn that the sound triggering you is neutral.
- Make it a Game: Use lightheartedness and turn the annoying sound into a challenge with the culprit. For instance, if someone is eating noisily have a go at joining in. By joining in, rather than feeling like the sound is an attack, you become an engaged person. And the game aspect should help distract your brain and make you somewhat less sensitive.
- Create a Scenario: Another technique is to try to invent a reason about the reason someone creating the sound is behaving that way. Imagine if someone was sniffing, maybe they are not feeling well or are troubled. The idea is changing the meaning of the sound. Even though the sound doesn't change, your interpretation of it shifts from being aggravating, to feeling a bit more accepting towards it.
